Irish, Scottish, folk, and country music from many different neighbourhoods, and sometimes, from behind the scenes

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Celtic Connections 2010 on the way

Celtic Connections has begun announcing its lineup today. The festival itself, a gathering which takes place 14 to 31 January in Glasgow, is a premiere event not to be missed. Scottish Power returns as a major supporter of the festival this year, and artistic director Donald Shaw says the musical events will have the theme of celebrating Celtic influence across the world.

That said, some of the concerts I’m looking forward to featurethe festival’s celebration of the Gaelic language. There will be Jewels of the Ocean, featuring Capercaillie, Arthur Cormack, Na Seòid, Ishbel MacAskill, Seumas Begley and Altan’s Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh, top Gaelic singer Karen Matheson will appear with The Scottish Ensemble and Aly Bain. Other Gaelic acts performing in Glasgow this January include Alyth, The Poozies, Kathleen MacInnes, Katie Mackenzie, Rona Lightfoot, Kenna Campbell, Mary Ann and Wilma Kennedy, James Graham Trio, The Shee, Maggie MacInnes, Iain Morrison, Rachel Walker, Griogair Labhruidh and a Skipinnish 10th Anniversary show. The CCA will host a celebration of Gaelic arts over three days in association with Ceol ’s Craic, which if you’re around Glasgow at all has films, concerts, and talks well worth checking out.

One-off ensemble shows are also a big part of the festival each year. The schedule for this winter includes Indian percussion virtuoso Trilok Gurtu, joined by Scottish trio Lau, the acclaimed Norwegian jazz saxophonist Jan Garbarek and Shankar Mahadevan – the legendary Indian singer and composer, and one-third of the acclaimed Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy trio (whose music can be heard in major Bollywood productions as well as in Slumdog Millionaire) – for a show in the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall.